Tuesday 1 November 2016 17:50, UK
Natasha Jonas says Katie Taylor "will take the world by storm" and insists more female boxers will follow the Bray fighter's lead and enter the paid ranks.
Taylor, the five-time world amateur champion and London 2012 gold medallist, turned professional last week by signing a contract with Matchroom Boxing. She will debut at the SSE Wembley Arena on November 26 before fighting on Anthony Joshua's undercard at the Manchester Arena two weeks later.
Both of Taylor's bouts will be shown on Sky Sports, and Jonas - Britain's first female Olympic boxer - believes the 30-year-old's decision to turn professional is a watershed moment for women's boxing.
"Katie has a crazy following and she will take the world by storm," Jonas told Tuesday's Sportswomen show on Sky Sports News HQ.
"This is absolutely massive and you now have people wanting to see and find out more about women's professional boxing.
"There are some really good professionals out there. Sofya Ochigava, who Katie beat in the final at London 2012, is a professional, and Lucie Bertaud is a European silver medallist who turned professional a couple of years ago.
"It gives women another option. The lads have always had the option to turn pro whereas the women haven't had that.
"You had to stay amateur because that's where all the gains were and you could have the chance to fight at the Olympics.
"Now, you can do both. You can be an amateur and take the sport where you want and then you can turn professional."
Sky Sports' head of boxing, Adam Smith, believes signing Taylor is a bold move by Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn - and one he believes will increase the profile of professional women's boxing.
"It's a huge statement from Eddie and I'm absolutely thrilled," he said. "It's terrific because now women's boxing is now going to be taken seriously.
"Katie is loved and adored. She is a wonderful athlete. She's great outside of the ring and she's brilliant inside it. She is a fantastic ambassador and I think this is a huge moment for women's sport and women's boxing."
